TASTE: A Stepbrother Romance (14 page)

Chapter Two

I packed my overnight tote—I heard there was a winter concert near Golden Gate. The climate here was close to amazing all the time, and I had just enough time to see it if I hustled. Then my boss’s secretary rang.

“Hi, Skye. It’s Aimee.”

I glanced at the time on my phone, while I locked the door to my studio loft. “Hi, Aimee. How’s the weekend?” I was ready to catch the ferry.

Today was warm and sunny, one of the many reasons I enjoyed California. Commuting could be a bear sometimes, and I paid taxes on everything. But one look at the crystal clear sky and azure water and I remembered why I left Georgia. I’d grown up there pretty much on my own. I swore I’d say sayonara when I turned 18—and I’ve never looked back.

“Mr. Fox emailed his weekend meetings schedule. He has changed the entire travel schedule from the East coast to Cali.”

A text pinged into my phone. I read it and gasped. Driver Fox switched his company meetings from New York to Princeton Harbor, California. That meant everyone who was off for the weekend was back on red alert. Hardly anyone could match the frenetic pace he had created at
Fox
. I sighed, believing I knew what was coming next.

“I messengered Driver’s itineraries to everyone at his office. If he had any changes, he would have sent an email,” I said.

“You did perfect,” Aimee replied. “But Hallie quit.”

I nearly dropped the phone. “She works side by side with Mr. Fox.”

“She resigned an hour ago. Skye, Hallie has been with Fox Regency since the beginning.”

I had reviewed tons of inter-office emails Driver shuttled between Hallie, me and Aimee. It was part of my VA job. And many times I edited out the ‘comments’ Hallie sent to me and Aimee in her emails. I worried they might get back to Driver somehow, but with her gone I wasn’t sure what would happen next.

“That’s a shame, I really liked Hallie, she seemed so upbeat,” I said. There was a pause on the other end.

“We haven’t worked together long, but Hallie’s sudden departure puts Mr. Fox and me in a bind. I don’t have time to work through HR to find another competent secretary.”

From what I read in the office emails, Hallie and Driver went way back. Nobody could do the personal work for Driver Fox that she did. “You may be aware about the rumors about Mr. Fox and Hallie too,” Aimee said.

I stood near the pier looking at the ferry, wondering how big a player Driver Fox was. I read online about his notorious womanizing ways. I always assumed that the tabloids were making a scene about him to sell copies. Now I’m hearing they may be true
?
Was Driver living the party lifestyle? Whatever reason Hallie left, could it have been personal?

“Mr. Fox is a brilliant content creator. He has made billions in a few short years, and the staff at Fox Regency must maintain his vision. His people need to be separate above any personal entanglements, or sever from questionable relations of any kind. They should not become involved in anything that could taint the
Fox Magazine
image. I’ve been with Mr. Fox and Hallie long enough to pick up the slack.

“He’s appointed me to senior secretary. I’ll be handling his interviews and public events now. But Hallie dealt with his personal communiques with entertainment personalities and organizations. Her role as his professional confidante was behind the scenes, but still high profile. If Hallie’s split from the magazine even hints of misconduct, we could hit the front page. Do you understand, Skye?”

I wondered what Aimee was about to ask.
Fox Magazine
is a men’s health guide, and a thinly veiled excuse to sell a soft core nudie magazine. The sales it generated from featuring racy adult content could halt if a major scandal broke. But I was Mr. Fox’s VA. What could I do to help that would keep Driver Fox’s personal life out of the public eye? “I do his scheduling, Aimee,” I reminded. “Not his PR.”

Please, don’t say someone else at the company quit. Please
, I prayed.

“Not any longer. Mr. Fox has promoted me. He’s doing some in-house cleaning. He’s asked me to fortify the inter-company ranks. And I need someone who can handle Driver’s breakneck decision-making pace. He doesn’t intend to replace Hallie. Heads are about to roll. And only the best will stay. How about it, Skye?"

Stay?
I had bills and a studio loft I wanted to keep. “But nobody knows Driver’s personal itinerary and connections better than Hallie,” I said. “Who the heck can do the job?”

Chapter Three

“You. Skye, you know Mr. Fox’s schedules and appointments backwards and forwards. I’ve seen you juggle his eleventh-hour updates, and you’re the only one who I would trust to take that on. I’m creating a new role for you. As a personal assistant for Driver, you will handle all his connections with his social media and press events. You will be his go-to person. You'll book his stays and intervene with clients when he is otherwise engaged.”

“You want me to babysit a grown man? You know I see the paper trails. The man signs the paychecks of 250 people between NYC and the west coast. He’s a beast in publishing and in public, and I don’t know the first thing about being a personal assistant!”

There was another long pause on the line. “Driver Fox is opinionated, brash, and the most brilliant man any of us know. He is also a handful. And he needs a bit of hand-holding by someone who doesn’t swoon the instant he smiles and doesn’t pass out when he decides to dive out of his jet to support a charity.”

I stared at the phone, then at the ferry leaving for the city. “Can’t you do all that?”

“I’m married, remember?”

“Yeah.” Aimee didn’t see much of her husband or her two kids any more than I got to the city. I would never let myself fall for a dude who thought women were playthings. I wanted to believe I was smarter. I’m still single at 31; relationships were as fickle as true love.

Another text vibrated into my phone. It was a contract. I scanned it quickly. “You want me to be a Girl Friday.”

“Double the pay, quadruple the workload. You’ll have an expense account, but only use it for the necessities.”

“I could use the money, Aimee, but I don’t know.”

“Skye you can do it. A thousand girls would kill for this job.”

I bet they were clamoring outside Fox’s penthouse somewhere waiting to do it too. “On one condition,” I said.

“I’m listening,” said Aimee.

“If I get uncomfortable with being Mr. Fox’s assistant in
any
way, the deal’s off. I get to return to handling his scheduling, but I get to keep the double pay.” I knew I was asking for what I was worth.
Please, don’t let me get axed before things roll
.

I swore I could hear a smile in Aimee’s voice when she replied, “You were doing most of Hallie’s work anyway. Done. Sending Mr. Fox’s itinerary. Anything you don’t grasp right away, I’ll tell Driver to help you with it.”

I attached my virtual signature to the documents and sent them back to Aimee. “Do you have any other questions?”

“Can I have my old job back?”

“Any time you want to vent; just let me know. I’ve sent a list of the changes Mr. Fox expects to introduce to
Fox Magazine
. He’s hiring more people, and dropping the ones who haven’t signed the Fox Regency non-disclosures.”

I read the on-boarding welcome on my phone. And saw a new itinerary that had me working side by side with Driver. I blinked. “I’m meeting him today?”

“Your flight is already arranged. You’ll meet Mr. Fox outside of Princeton Harbor. Message any purchases of items. In other words, make sure you dress the part. Skye?” I had a feeling that my boss wouldn’t want to work beside a woman who didn’t faint from his charms. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of falling over myself to cater to his every whim.

“I have the ticket. I’ll message you when I arrive.”

I could hear Aimee breathe a sigh of relief and I fought my urge to smile. She had been great to me, and if she was in a pinch, I was going to help.

I just didn’t know how I would get along with an aggressive businessman who jet-set around the globe or attended countless parties like he was royalty.

Chapter Four

Driver Fox’s plane taxied on a landing strip. A man dressed in a dark suit and bola hat held a sign with my name on it. I looked around, wondering where my boss was.

“My name is Jenks,”

“Hi, I’m Skye.”

“Mr. Fox will meet you at the shore.”

The older man opened the door to a long dark limousine and paused. I had just agreed to work with my boss as his assistant, and flown to Princeton Harbor, and he was nowhere to be found. I stood in the early afternoon sun, in my white pants and blazer, and suddenly wished that I’d brought flats. I’d thought I was going to an evening concert in San Francisco, not a trip to babysit a grown man.

I glanced at the airport, wondering if it was too late to just buy a ticket back to Sausalito.

“I’ll collect your things and take you to Mr. Fox.” I nodded and slipped into the limo. The lush leather interior felt like butter. I sank into the seat, luxuriating like a kitten. Maybe working for Driver Fox like this wouldn’t be so hard at all.

***

We pulled up to a crowd of camera crews and photographers along the shoreline. I stepped out of the limo and stared at the ocean. “Jenks, where are we?”

“We have arrived at Mavericks, Miss.”

Across the sand was a bevy of reporters, surfers, and onlookers. They were watching somebody surf on what might have been the largest waves I had ever seen. “Jenks, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

I heard somebody call out a name, as I stepped carefully across the stones in the sand after Jenks. “Miss?”

“We’re at a surfing contest?”

The chauffeur showed me to a seat, which was next to a group of announcers. Everybody was looking at the waves. “Yes, Miss. The master attends the surfing event every December to March. He appears to be doing quite well, this time around.” Jenks handed me a pair of binoculars, and said my tote would be waiting for me at Mr. Fox’s bungalow.

A bungalow. Jenks replied Driver would meet me at the announcers’ booth. “The master prefers a short scenic trip after competing. I dare say you will find him congenial company after winding down, Miss.”

I watched Jenks bow, and started after him when the onlookers cheered. I turned and saw a tall, lean figure mount a board. “Taking massive waves in the second heat is Driver Fox. This is his fifth return to Mavericks, after a nasty spill last year.”

“Right. Let’s see if the ligaments he tore yesterday are going to slow him down. He’s into the curl. He’s going switch-foot into the pipe.”

I peered through the binoculars and spied Driver Fox. He whirled his surf board across a gigantic wave. Water bounced off his pecs and board shorts as he raced through the foam. He was magnificent. The wave he rode carried him right into the shallows. He bobbed to the sand, gripping his board and ran right towards me. I started for the roadside yards above when he reached me first, grabbing my arm.

“Whoa. You work for me, remember?”

I spun and stared at the impossibly tall man. He didn’t seem to mind that he was flinging wet sand and saltwater every direction. I swatted dirt off my pants, ignoring the chuckles from a few cameramen. I recover fast though, and I stuck out my hand. “Mr. Fox? Hello—”

“You’re Skye Matthews. I know,” Driver gripped my hand hard and I managed to hold my smile. Rivulets of seawater trickled down his chest and over his board shorts to puddle on the ground. His lean, muscled body was ripped, as if sculpted by some Greek artist. His dark blond hair thatched between his pectorals, and trailed beneath his waistband. “I make it a point to know everything about my staff.”

From what I had learned the past few hours, Driver Fox was a force to be reckoned with. Fine with me. I just needed to know what kind of babysitting my new boss required.

Chapter Five

I noticed more water streaking his rock hard calves. “See something you like?” I looked up and saw him smiling. Great. I hadn’t been near a man in ages. Finally, I meet one and I ogle him like he’s a cut of steak. Even if I preferred my guys less 'muscle headed' and definitely more considerate when it came to women. I ignored his question and looked him squarely in the eye. He winked at me and turned and headed for the line of parked cars.

I followed him to his sports car, he opened the door and dropped his shorts right in front of me. I resisted the urge to look down and smiled pertly, “You could have warned me,” I said and turned towards the ocean.

He pulled a pair of pants from his Porsche and grinned at me. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Mr. Fox. Maybe now would be a good time for you to tell me what you expect from me?”

The man was sexy and he didn’t mind showing his stuff to anyone with a pulse on the California surf line. I shouldn’t have been shocked. But how often did I get to peek at a hunk of man with a package that could shame Don Draper? Driver Fox was
hung
.

He gave me a swift once-over and leaned his hip against the car. “You dress like that often?”

I looked down at my pants and jacket and then back at him. “This isn’t professional attire?”

“It’s a little too professional.” Driver leaned close and ran a beefy finger under the edge of the camisole that clung to my large breasts. “I like my people to represent me with a casual flair. I’ll have Jenks give you a new expense account.”

He slid into the Porsche and I stepped back when the engine roared. “Not used to large beasts?” he said over the growl of the engine.

“I can get used to it,” I folded myself into the car and strapped myself in, and eyed him levelly.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Driver gunned the sports car, and we sped onto the road that hugged the California coastline. The sun angled low over the horizon and we drove to a secluded section of hills by the shore. “There are five things I need you to do if we’re going to get along.” He shifted gears smoothly and I felt the machine roar underneath me. The wind whipped through Driver’s leonine hair and twirled mine into a tangle of frizz. Riding in a car with your hair blowing looked good on TV. But it sucks when you’ve got hair like mine and end up spending a quarter of your paycheck to keep your hair in check.

“I’m up at five and I have my breakfast in my sauna. I take my calls on my private cell. Here’s my number.” He handed me a card and I memorized his digits, then handed it back. “You’ll need that.”

“That’s okay. I have them.”

I saw his brows arch. “You have a photographic memory. That’s excellent. Aimee said she found a great assistant after Hallie. You might be the girl I need.” I shifted uneasy, and sensed him looking. “You’ve heard about the kind of man I am, Miss Matthews?”

There, he’d said it. Driver Fox seemed to be a man of contradictions. He prized himself on efficiency and he made no bones about hacking away anybody that didn’t esteem his company.
Fox Magazine
was the proof he knew publishing, and his audience - ranking number two in the world wasn’t small potatoes.

I wondered how many of the rumors I read about him were true. Everything I had read said that Driver Fox wooed women from the West Coast to both sides of the Atlantic while he ran his billionaire publishing biz from his smartphone. The online gossip sites call him “playboy” but I think it’s genius.

“I’m good in business and better with women. I live life hard and fast. You work with me for two years, and you can have any publishing job in the business. If you can survive me.”

Everyone east of the Atlantic knew Driver made
Fox
into the juiciest read since
Men's Health.
And I learned he’d tapped the female audience to do it. He claimed to give women an inside scoop into how men think, and that had set
Fox
apart from its number one competitor
Stuff
. Personally, I loved the number one mag's classy jock image, but how many ways can you write about crunches and squats?

“For the money you’re paying me, I’ll believe anything you say.” He eyed me fast, and I thought I had just put my head on the chopping block.

“You’re direct. I like that.”

“You gave me items one, two and three. What about points four and five?”

Driver Fox chuckled, and the sound rumbled through my core, making me warm.

“How do you feel about sushi?”

“Are we talking about your personal life, or the magazine, Mr. Fox?”

“You can call me Driver. I piss on formality with my team. I’ll have Aimee forward Hallie’s old itinerary. I’m about to make some changes in the company. And you didn’t answer my question.”

Driver turned into the driveway in front of a three-story bungalow, lined with palms. He leaned close and I lifted my chin, refusing to react.

No, I had to keep things professional. I watched him as he pulled a shirt over his muscular torso. Driver Fox was a bit of a mystery. He was clearly a ladies’ man. He was an athlete who seemed to enjoy the sport more than the competition. I remembered he hadn’t even stayed to hear the surfing contest results. I couldn’t deny that I was intrigued. I also had to admit that he was hot.

“There’s a fifty-fifty chance that everything you have heard and read about me is true.” His eyes gleamed in the low sunlight, and my breath caught in my throat. “You may have just struck a deal with the devil.”

The man was too danged sexy; my eyes were glued to the tribal tattoo on his stomach that disappeared under the waistband of his pants.

He grinned at me and suddenly I wanted to prove I could take anything he could dish out.

I looked at my boss and smiled, sweet as honey. “I prefer steak.”

I watched as Driver tossed his head back and laugh. “You and I are going to get along fine.”